Taxicab control system having time delay means



Jan. 17, 1956 o. BUTLER 2,731,100

TAXICAB CONTROL SYSTEM HAVING TIME DELAY MEANS Filed Feb. 18, 1952 INVENTOR. 0504/" fiaf/gr United States Patent TAXICAB CONTROL SYSTEM HAVING TIME DELAY MEANS Oscar Butler, Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 18, 1952, Serial No. 272,167

2 Claims. (Cl. 180--82) This invention relates to a control system for use with taxicabs in the nature of an electric circuit coupled in series with the ignition circuit of the taxicab and operably connected with the meter thereof for automatically forcing the driver of the taxicab to place the meter in operation whenever a passenger occupies the taxicab.

The primary object of this invention is to improve upon my co-pending application entitled Control System For Taxicab Meters," filed November 8, 1948, under Serial No. 58,887, this application being a continuation in-part of the aforesaid pending application and having issued as U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,598,348 on May 27, 1952.

\Vhile the system described in my co-pending application has been completely successful over a relatively long period of time, the present invention contemplates an improvement capable of eliminating an objection that results from the tendency of taxicab passengers to occasionally lift themselves from the seat of the taxicab in which they are riding. Peculiarly enough, a passenger may oftentimes reach for money or keys, or other articles in his pocket, and by bracing himself against the back of the seat with his feet on the fioorboard, rise entirely off the seat closing the switches within the seat and causing deenergization of the ignition circuit, as shown in my co-pending application.

It is the most important object of the present invention therefore, to incorporate all of the advantages forming a part of the circuit arrangement of my co pending application with the addition of timing means operable to delay the period of time between closing of the seat switches and deenergization of the taxicab ignition circuit.

Many more minor objects will be made clear as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic wiring diagram, showing the electrical circuit forming a part of the taxicab control system having time delay means made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view through a conventional automobile seat, showing one of the switches mounted therein in vertical cross-section.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of said switches, per se; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical, cross-sectional view through a taxicab meter, showing portions of the component parts thereof, together with one of the multiple switch means of the circuit shown in Fig. l.

A conventional taxicab meter is shown fragmentarily in Fig. 4 of the drawing, and includes a flag, the arm it) of which is connected to a rotatable shaft 12, traversing case 14 of the meter. The flag, of course, carries such wording as For Hire or Vacant, which is displayed prominently when the flag is in the uppermost position illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

Operably connected with such flag and with the shaft 12, is a panel having the words Not Registering inscribed thereon, said panel being movable to and from by the numeral 38.

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upon a shaft shown behind shaft 12. A pair of intermeshing bevel gears 28 and 30 are mounted upon each of said shafts respectively.

When the arm 10, having the meter flag thereon, is moved from the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing to rotate the interconnected shafts, cam member 26 'will cause upward movement to be imparted to the arm 18 to move the contact bar 22 into bridging relationship with three stationary contacts 32, 34 and 36. This entire switch, including a movable contact bar 22 and stationary contacts 32, 34 and 36, is broadly designated It will be apparent that switch 38 amounts to a double-pole, single-throw type switching device, whose details of construction might be varied from the preferred form illustrated, if desired.

A plurality of switches mounted within the rear seat of the taxicab, and arranged in pairs designated by the numerals 40, 42 and 44 respectively. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, these switches 40, 42 and 44 each include a pair of shiftable contacts and a corresponding pair of stationary contacts. The individual switches of each pair thereof are ganged together, the switches of the assembly 40 being designated by the numerals 46 and 48, the switches of assembly 42 being designated by the numerals 50 and 52, and the switches of the assembly 44 being numbered 54 and 56 respectively.

The precise construction of these assemblies 40, 42 and 44 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A stationary plate 58 is secured in any suitable manner to the bottom of the rear seat 60 of the taxicab, said plate 58 having a plurality of upstanding posts 62. A second plate 64 is secured to-the uppermost ends of the posts 62, and each of the switches 46, 48, 50, 52, S4 and 56 includes a stationary contact 66 and an opposed, movable contact 68.

These contacts 66 and 68 are secured between the uppermost endsof corresponding posts 62 and the plate 64 and extend inwardly into a relative overlapping condition. The contacts 68 are all formed from resilient material and biased away from the opposed stationary contact 66. An elongated bar 70 of non-conducting material underlies the pair of movable contacts 68 in bridging relationship thereto, this bar 70 having connected therewith a link 72 that passes upwardly through an opening in plate 64 for free, sliding movement.

A second link 74 interconnects the link 72 with a but-.

ton 76 forming a part of the seat 60. As illustrated, the seat 60 is of the usual compressible type and has a plurality of coil springs 78 mounted therein. The links 72 and 74 are co-axially disposed with one of the coil springs 78 and the latter serves to normally hold the movable contacts 68 biased in a normally closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The six switches within the rear seat 6! of the taxicab are equally spaced longitudinally along the seat 60, to the end that at least one pair of the assemblies 40, 42 or 44 will move simultaneously to an open position when a passenger occupies seat 60. It is apparent that the inherent weight of such passenger will compress seat 60 to move links 72, 74 and bar 70 downwardly to permit opening of the two contacts 6668.

side of the front seat of the taxicab (designated generally in Fig. l by the numeral 79), is provided merely with a pair of switches 80 and 82 formed essentially the same as the switches shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with the exception only that the same are not of double character.

in addition to electrical components thus far described, the entire circuit arrangement illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, includes the automobile battery 84, grounded as at 86 in the usual manner, an ignition circuit 88 (shown schematically only), ignition switch 90 and a pair of relays broadly designated by the numerals 92 and 93. The relay 92 includes an electromagnet 94 and a normally open switch 96 which closes when electromagnet 94 is energized. Relay 93 has an electromagnet 95 and a normally closed switch 97 which opens when electromagnet 95 is energized.

Timing means shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, includes thermo switch 98 having a bimetallic element 100 coupled in series with a resistor 104. Element 100 is capable of closing contacts 102 forming a part of switch 98 when a circuit is closed through the element 100.

Under normal conditions, when the taxicab is unoccupied except for the driver, whose presence has no effect upon the system, the electromagnet 94 of relay 92, is energized to maintain the switch 96 closed as shown in Fig. 1, through the following circuit:

From battery 84, through lines 106 and 108, series coupled switches 46, 50, 54, 80 and 82, lines 110 and 112, electromagnet 94 and lines 114, 116 and 118, to ground 86.

Thus, the ignition circuit 88 may be closed by the taxicab driver upon closing of the ignition switch 90 through the following circuit:

From battery 84, through lines 106, 120 and 122, closed switch 96, line 124, closed switch 97, line 126, closed ignition switch 90 and line 128 to the ignition circuit 88 and its ground 86.

As soon as a passenger sits on either the rear seat 60 or the front seat 79, one or-more of the switches 46-50 54, or one or both of the switches 80-82, will be opened, thus, deenergizing the electromagnet 94 which causes opening of the switch 96 and deenergization of the ignition circuit 88. To avoid this, the cab driver swings the arm to close the switch 38, whereupon the electromagnet 94 is energized through the following circuit:

From battery 84, through lines 106, 120 and 130, contact 32, bar 33, contact 34, lines 132 and 112, electromagnet 94 and lines 114, 116 and 118 to ground 86.

If there are one or more passengers in the rear seat 60, the driver may then proceed with the mm 10 swung down, whether or not there is also a passenger with him in the front seat 79. If however, he attempts to place a passenger in the front seat 79 only, then after a predetermined period of time preferably less than one minute,

depending upon the selection and setting of thermo switch 98, the ignition circuit 88 Will again be deenergized, forcing the taxicab driver to either ask the passenger to move to the rear seat 60, or to have another passenger sit upon the seat 60. When switches 40, 42 and 44 are all closed and either or both of the switches 80 and 82 open, and with switch 38 closed, the bimetallic element 100 is energized through the following circuit:

From battery 84, through lines 106, 120 and 130, contact 32, bar 22, contact 36, line 134, series coupled switches 56, 52 and 48, lines 136 and 138, bimetallic element 100, lines 140 and 142, resistor 104 and lines 144 and 118 to ground 86.

After the element 100 has closed the switch 102, the electromagnet 95 of relay 93, is energized through the following circuit:

From battery 84, through lines 106, 120 and 130, contact 32, bar 38, contact 36, line 134, switches 56, 52

and 48, lines 136 and 146, switch 102, lines 148 and 150, electromagnet 95 and lines 152, 116 and 118, to ground 86.

Such energization of the electromagnet 95 opens the switch 97 to deenergize the ignition circuit 88. It is thus seen that if a passenger is on the rear seat 60, one or more of the switches 48, 52 and 56 will be opened, thereby preventing the energization of electromagnet 95. it is also clear that if a passenger on the rear seat 60 should rise in the taxicab so as to cause closing of all of the switches 48, 52 and 56, there will not be an immediate deenergization of the ignition circuit 88 because of the timing that is afforded by the thermo switch 98. Furthermore, after all passengers alight from the taxicab, the driver is forced after a few seconds, to open the switch 38 by swinging the arm 10 to the position shown in Fig. 4 in order to prevent energization of the electromagnet 9S, and thereby deenergization of the ignition circuit 88. Opening of the switch 38 with no passengers in the taxicab causes energization of the ignition circuit 88 by virtue of the operation of relay 92 as initially set forth above in the description of operation.

Since all of the switches forming a part of the assemblies 40, 42 and 44, as well as the individual switches and 82, are embedded within the seat assemblies of the taxicab, any tampering therewith will readily become apparent to the owner. By the same token, the switch 38 is sealed within the meter itself and cannot be tampered with by the taxicab driver without detection by the owner.

It is desirable also, to mount the relay 92 and 93 and the thermo switch 98 in the taxicab in a manner such as by a lead seal, to the end that the owner may know if a driver attempts in any way to render the system inoperable.

Except for the minor alteration of the meter, as above set forth and as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the entire system may be made a part of existing taxicabs without appreciable alteration of the ignition circuit thereof. By the same token, the entire system may be installed in the taxicab at the time of its manufacture without an appreciable addition of cost.

It is now apparent from the foregoing that the ignition circuit 88 will not become immediately deenergized by virtue of a passenger on the rear seat 60 rising to a point where all of the switches 40, 42 and 44, close. By providing a time delay of several seconds before the switch 102 closes, the taxicab will travel for a considerable distance before the ignition circuit becomes deenergized, during which time the passenger ordinarily will have found his keys or money and will again permit his weight to rest upon the seat 60.

The invention hereof also operates to protect the taxicab company by avoiding the possibility of the operator leaving the switch 38 closed after unloading his passengers and thereupon picking up another load with the meter still operating. Only occasionally will it be possible for a driver to re-load during the period of time following unloading of a passenger and deenergization of the ignition circuit 88 by virtue of closing of switches 40. 42 and 44.

This system, therefore, virtually eliminates all fraud, and the inclusion of the timing means hereof, serves as a safety factor in that movement of passengers in the taxicab will not cause an immediate stoppage of the automobile and, therefore, the resultant danger, particularly in heavy trafiic.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle having a compressible passenger seat. an ignition circuit, a source of electrical energy, and a meter provided with a flag movable to and from a position rendering the meter operable, a control system comprising a first relay having an electromagnet and a normally open, relay switch; a second relay having an electromagnet and a normally closed, relay switch; conductive means coupling said relay switches and said ignition circuit in series with each other and across said source of energy; a pair of normally closed, seat switches operably connected with said seat for opening as a passenger sits upon the seat compressing the latter; conductive means coupling one of said seat switches and the electromagnet of said first relay in series with each other and across said source of energy; a normally open, doublepole, single-throw meter switch operably connected with said flag for closing of both poles thereof as the flag is moved to said position; conductive means coupling one pole of said meter switch and the electromagnet of said first relay in series with each other and across said source of energy; delayed action switching means having a control element and a normally open, delay switch adapted to close after the element has been energized for a predetermined period of time; conductive means coupling the other pole of said meter switch, the other 15 of said seat switches, and said element in series with each other and across said source of energy; and conductive means coupling the delay switch and the electromagnet of said second relay in series with each other and in shunt with said element.

2. In the invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes a second seat, and there is provided a normally closed, auxiliary seat switch operably connected with said second seat for opening as a passenger sits upon said second seat compressing the latter, said auxiliary seat switch being coupled in series between said one seat switch and the electromagnet of said first relay.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,598,348 Butler May 27, 1952 2,606,626 Meyer Aug. 12, 1952 2,652,125 Dewhirst Sept. 15, 1953 

